FRUIT TREES FOR SALE

     Now is the time to plant bare root peach trees.  We have selected old time, flavorful varieties that are sweet, and juicy. Our summertime customers keep asking for them after the trees are empty. 

      Springcrest:  Yellow freestone peach. Early June harvest. Good flavor for an early season peach.  Sweet.  Self- fruitful. 

      Summerset:  Yellow freestone peach. Mid-August, late season peach. Sweet, juicy, melting flesh. Self- fruitful. 

     Gene Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach.   Mid to late July. Great flavor, sweet and juicy. Self- fruitful. 

     O'Henry:  Yellow freestone peach.  Early August. Great flavor. Sweet,  juicy, firm flesh.  Self- fruitful. 

      Fay Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach. Late July.  Melting, sweet, juicy flesh. Great flavor.  Self- fruitful. 

      Suncerest:  Yellow freestone peach.   Late July.  Red and yellow flesh.  Great flavor, sweet and juicy. Self- fruitful. 

      Regina:  Yellow freestone peach. Late June. Sweet and juicy. Self- fruitful. 

      We are happy to give planting directions if needed. 

         Although our winter hours are limited,  we have a good supply of seasonal fruit.  It is still citrus season. We have mandarins,  oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. 

    We are just about finished putting hoshigaki away in storage.  There are a few more boxes to knead and sort.  We are finding that many of these last of the season hoshigaki had a hard time drying.  Some got hard too fast, others never seemed to dry. Some have less sugar than we expected.  Many of these pieces will be cut into strips of hoshigaki for snack bags.  They make a nice sweet treat.  Gradually, we will be taking Hoshigaki out of storage to sell at the farm stand or through mail orders.  Hoshigaki is available in the farm stand and through mail order. Please contact us for large on-farm pick up orders.  For mail orders, please use our  2024   mail order form. 

    We are starting to prepare for our summer vegetable garden. We are excited that our tomato seeds successfully germinated.  Now we must watch and water them carefully for the next month.  Meanwhile we will be deciding where to plant them and start forming beds for the plants.  When the soil warms up we will directly seed summer squash and cucumbers.

 

     The orchard is starting to blossom. The workers are pruning peaches and plum trees between the rain storms.  They will also be cleaning up the brush, cutting suckers,  planting trees,  and cleaning the weeds around the base of the young trees. Ume have finished blooming and we can see tiny fruit on some of the trees.

   Please note, we will be closed on Sundays and Mondays till mid May.  We are open Friday and Saturday and have abbreviated hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.   Sorry for the inconvenience.  You are welcome to call me for special hours at (916) 300-0720, or (916) 791-1656. 

 

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Open Tues,Wed and Thurs only two hours 11:30 to 1:30

Open Fri and Sat:   10am to 6pm

 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

 Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season.  Hoshigaki are now available in the farm stand.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders please use our mail order form. 

 Hoshigaki strips:  These are pieces of hoshigaki sliced for easy snacking.

 Hachiya Pulp:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp is available. Often used to make cookies, puddings and breads.  Many customers put it on yogurt and oatmeal  or add it to their smoothie.

Navel Oranges:  fresh, sweet and juicy oranges.

Eureka Lemons:  These are very tart lemons. Great for contrast in sweet and sour recipes like:  lemonade, lemon meringue pie, sweet and sour pork, and lemon bars.

 Kiwi:   Brown fuzzy skin.  Sweet, tart fruit. Green flesh with tiny black seeds. (Limited supply).

Yellow grapefruit:  Sweet tart grapefruit with yellow flesh.  This variety has great flavor.

Blood oranges: Sweet tart oranges that have deep red flesh.

Local Honey  Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Peach trees:  These are bare root peach trees.  They should be planted in the next few weeks.  See list above.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Pleasant Hill Farm in Lincoln, no spray.

    Navel Oranges:  Sweet and juicy, orange fleshed oranges.

    

Stoney Point Orchard,  Loomis, CA organic certified:

    Tango mandarin:  Sweet, tender mandarins. Thin tight skin.

    Blood oranges:  Sweet oranges with red flesh. 

    Meyer Lemons:  These lemons have dark yellow skin and are less acidic than regular lemons.  Known for their flavor and fragrance.  Skin is thin and is often used for its fragrant zest.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

 

The California Persimmon Recipe Book:  Introduction to basic persimmon knowledge followed by recipes for the different types of persimmons.

 

PEACHES, PLUMS, AND TOMATOES

 We are experiencing the heat and heart  of summer.  We are busy on the farm trying to keep up with the harvest and preparing it for sale.  A great deal  of produce this year is going to the food bank and other programs.  The fruit is on the smaller side due to the heavy crop.  The larger pieces are generally sold at the farm stand and the smaller  but still tasty  ones go for donations.  The really ugly and very small ones usually end up feeding animals.  

There are so many varieties of plums to offer.  Red fleshed plums are:  Burgundy, Frontier, Elephant Heart, and Mariposa.  Yellow fleshed plums are:  Santa Rosa, Laroda, Kelsey, and Red Roy.  Each one has it's own flavor, texture and aroma.  Hope you will find one that pleases your pallet.

Pluots are also coming on.  There are Dapple Dandy, Flavor Queen, and FlavorGrenade.  These are crosses between a plum and an apricot. 

More varieties of peaches are maturing.  Currently harvesting Gene Elberta, Silver Logan, Bowen, Sugar Lady, Fay Elberta, Loring and 49er. 

The gardens are producing tomatoes, okra, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, long beans, squash, and cucumbers. Some of the plants are suffering from the high heat which decreases its production and vitality.

REGULAR HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

            Sunday: 11:00 to 5:00

Closed on Mondays

 

 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard

Plums:  

     Santa Rosa: Sweet, and juicy. One of the all time  most   popular  varieties.  They are very flavorful and fragrant.   Don't miss out.

    Burgundy:  Soft or firm sweet plums with pleasing mild red flesh and non tart skin.

Frontier:  Dark skin with reddish flesh.  Sweet and juicy when ripe and non tart skin.

Laroda:  Dark skin with yellow flesh.  Sweet and juicy with mild tartness.  Good flavor.

Elephant Heart:  Mottled skin with reddish flesh. Juicy and sweet.

Mariposa:  Mottled skin with red and white flesh.  Juicy and sweet. Tip tends to get very juicy before rest of the plum gets soft.  Great flavor and texture.

Kelsey:  Some like it hard and some like it with a little give.  This is a green skinned plum with yellow flesh.  It is surprisingly sweet.

 Peaches:

    Gene Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach.  Juicy and sweet with great flavor and texture.

    Silver Logan:  White freestone peach.  Sweet, juicy, with mild tang.

     Sugar Lady:   White fleshed peach with dark skin.  Mild flavor but sweet.

     Babcock:  White freestone peach.  Can be enjoyed hard or soft.  Sweet with distinct pleasing flavor. 

     Bowen:   Not a freestone.  This is a cling peach.  The flesh is firm and sticks to the pit.  Eat out of hand or carve the flesh off the pit.  When cooked or added to salads it will retain its firmness. Sweet and less juicy than freestone peaches.

Blackberries: These are wild blackberries hand picked by our experienced harvester.  They are sweet and tasty.   Due to the heat this summer their season may be shorter than usual.

Figs:  Black Mission, Brown Turkey and Panache.

Grapes: 

        Kyoho grapes are dark skinned seeded grapes with intense flavor.

        Thompson Seedless :  Small yellow seedless sweet grapes.

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  Mail orders may restart when the weather cools.

Valencia Oranges:  These oranges have thin skin and high juice content. Used for  juicing or fresh eating.  Slice them in half and cut them into smiles.😋

Persimmon:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp.

Summer Squash:  Green and yellow zucchini. Very fresh and easy to cook. (limited supply)

Japanese cucumbers:  Seedless and tender. So crisp and refreshing as  a snack on a warm summer day.We love the flavor of these cucumbers and are always sad when they are gone.  

Tomatoes:  Red, yellow, golden and striped.

Sungold cherry tomatoes:  Sweet orange cherry tomatoes.  Fruity flavor. The most popular cherry tomato at our farm for years. 

Sweet peppers:  Limited Supply

Chili peppers: Limited Supply

Japanese eggplant:  Limited Supply

Okra:  Okra loves the heat of the summer. Green tender pods.

Basil:  Fresh from our garden.

Red or Green Shiso leaves:  Beefsteak herb. Japaneses aromatic herb used in salads, soups and on noodles. Can be paired with sashimi. Red shiso is used in preparing umeboshi.

Local Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Mihara Farm in Newcastle, conventional practices:

    Ruby Red Garapefruit: Pink fleshed grapefruit 

     Kiwi

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, conventional practices:

      Suncrest peaches:  Yellow freestone peaches with streaks of red flesh. Sweet and juicy.

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay. No spray practices.

         Black Mission Figs: Sweet and flavorful.

         Black and yellow seedless grapes:  sweet and juicy.

WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay, organic practices:

    White Onions and Garlic

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices:  red cherry tomatoes (Limited Supply).

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

TOMATOES SHOWING UP

REGULAR HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

            Sunday: 11:00 to 5:00

Closed on Mondays

 

 

After a long wait we are finally getting tomatoes.  It is the beginning of tomato season for us.  The largest ones seem to start out the season.  By September they will be smaller but still tasty. We now have mostly red slicers but also some colorful ones.

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard

Plums:  

     Santa Rosa: Sweet, and juicy. One of the all time  most   popular  varieties.  They are very flavorful and fragrant.   Don't miss out.

    Satsuma:  Small soft plums with red flesh.  When ripe it glistens like jelly inside.

    Burgundy:  Soft or firm sweet plums with pleasing mild red flesh and non tart skin.

Black Amber:  Dark skin with yellow flesh. These plums have a nice aroma, are sweet and somewhat freestone.  Good for fresh eating and great plum pie.

Frontier:  Dark skin with reddish flesh.  Sweet and juicy when ripe and non tart skin.

 Peaches:

    Red Haven:  Yellow freestone peach, sweet juicy with some tang and distinct flavor. A very popular variety.

    PF-11:  Good tasting yellow freestone peach.  Yellow flesh with red streaks. 

    Delight:  Yellow freestone peach.

    Gene Elberta:  Yellow freestone peach.

    Silver Logan:  White freestone peach.  Sweet, juicy, with mild tang.

Blackberries: These are wild blackberries hand picked by our experienced harvester.  They are sweet and tasty.   Due to the heat this summer their season may be shorter than usual.

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  Mail orders may restart when the weather cools.

Valencia Oranges:  These oranges have thin skin and high juice content. Used for  juicing or fresh eating.  Slice them in half and cut them into smiles.😋

Eureka Lemons:  These are the sour lemons. Great for intense sweet and sour flavoring.

Persimmon:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp.

Summer Squash:  Green and yellow zucchini. Very fresh and easy to cook.

Japanese cucumbers:  Seedless and tender. So crisp and refreshing as  a snack on a warm summer day.We love the flavor of these cucumbers and are always sad when they are gone.  

Tomatoes:  Red, yellow, golden and striped.

Sungold cherry tomatoes:  Sweet orange cherry tomatoes.  Fruity flavor. The most popular cherry tomato at our farm for years. 

Sweet peppers:  Limited Supply

Chili peppers: Limited Supply

Japanese eggplant:  Limited Supply

Okra: Limited Supply

Red or Green Shiso leaves:  Beefsteak herb. Japaneses aromatic herb used in salads, soups and on noodles. Can be paired with sashimi. Red shiso is used in preparing umeboshi.

Local Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Mihara Farm in Newcastle, conventional practices:

    Black Beaut Plums:  Sweet tart plums with dark skin and yellow-red flesh. Very juicy when soft.

    Ruby Red Garapefruit: Pink fleshed grapefruit

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, conventional practices:

    June Pride Peaches:  Deep red skin with bright yellow flesh. Aromatic with great flavor and sweetness.

WoodRose Country Garden in Granite Bay, organic practices:

    White Onions and Garlic

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices:  red cherry tomatoes (Limited Supply).

Arrow Place in Auburn, no spray:  Meyer Lemons.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

ALMOST THERE

Thank you to so many new and regular customers for checking in on us during our slow season, February through May.  Offerings have been scant for a few months but it looks like we will have a plentiful supply of summer fruits.  The season will be starting with mulberries and ume by the end of May.  Apricots, loquat, peaches and plums will start in June.  Meanwhile we are still selling grapefruit, lemons, Valencia oranges and kiwi.

During this slow season we have been preparing summer vegetable gardens.  I am battling gophers and bind weed.  Hope to get a handle on this soon.  We are planting tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, peppers and okra.  All are starting to fill in the garden spaces. 

Now that new trees are in the ground our attention turns back to our existing trees.  With a heavy fruit set, we are busy every day thinning out the crop to increase size and remove blemished fruit.  We are happy with water we received during the rain season.  The trees look like they are taking a big refreshing gulp of water. The weeds are also growing like weeds. Unfortunately our mower is feeling its age.  One thing gets fixed and then another part needs replacing.  And so it goes.

 We continue to have a supply of hoshigaki (Japanese dried persimmons) in the freezer.  These are sweet and tender with traditional persimmon flavor.  They are coated  with hoshigaki sugar.  A sweet treat.  They are available at the farm stand and through mail order.  For mail order, please use our mail order form.

At this point it looks like the ume (Japanese plum) have dodged hail and freezing temperatures.  The crop looks good but as always, still some blemishes.  Please email at: otoworchard@yahoo.com or call us at (916) 791-1656 if you are interested in purchasing ume.  Harvest will begin in mid May and finish by mid June.

      Just a reminder,  at this time of year our hours are limited. Please take note. Outside of these hours, you are welcome to call me at (916) 300-0720 to ask if I can meet you.  You will have to leave a message if your number is not already identified in my phone.  We are often at the farm somewhere, just not in the farm stand.

REDUCED HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs:     11:30  to  1:30

Fri, and Sat:       10:00  to  6:00

Sunday:      11:00 to 5:00

Closed on Mondays

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We began peeling persimmons in October.  We peeled the last persimmons at the beginning of December. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders please use our mail order form  for the 2023 season.

Valencia Oranges:  These oranges have thin skin and high juice content. Used for  juicing or fresh eating.

Persimmon:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp.

Apricots:   Royal Rosa:  early apricot.  Mild apricot flavor, not as sweet as later varieties.  

Loquat:  Small but sweet and juicy with a citrus background.

Ume:   Often referred to as Japanese plums (They are more closely related to apricots.) Ume are sour and must be pickled to be enjoyed.

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Stoney Point Orchard in Loomis, Certified Organic:

Ruby Red Grapefruit:  Sweet-tart and juicy with pink flesh. Great flavor.

Valencia Oranges:  very juicy and sweet. Great for juicing or slicing.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

EARLY SPRING

     Chickens have poor timing.  Our orchard crops are resting or just getting started on  the next growing season.  Chickens on the other hand, have been resting since November and have now started to produce.  We are getting eggs from La Bella Vito farm in Loomis.  Their chickens are raised on a pasture and get supplemental feed that is free of soy, corn and GMOs.  It is best to call ahead to ask about availability.  (916) 791-1656.

 

      The Ume, Japanese sour plum (apricot), crop looks promising at this point.  We hope the weather will cooperate and abstain from freezing temperatures and hail.  This fruit must be processed to be enjoyed. Traditionally, ume is pickled with salt, sugar, honey or alcohol.  If you are interested in purchasing ume, please email at otoworchard@yahoo.com or give us a call at (916) 791-1656.

        As you can see in the photos, the trees are doing their own thing.  Apples are blossoming, peaches are showing little tiny fuzzy fruit, and nectarines are struggling with leaf curl 😞.

 

      Just a reminder,  at this time of year our hours are limited. Please take note. Outside of these hours, you are welcome to call me at (916) 300-0720 to ask if I can meet you.  You will have to leave a message if your number is not already identified in my phone.  We are often at the farm somewhere, just not in the farm stand.

REDUCED HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs:     11:30  to  1:30

Fri, and Sat:       10:00  to  6:00

Sunday:      11:00 to 5:00

Closed on Mondays

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We began peeling persimmons in October.  We peeled the last persimmons at the beginning of December. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders please use our mail order form  for the 2023 season.

Yellow Grapefruit:  Sweet tart and a bit bitter. Very tasty.

Persimmons:

    Hachya : Frozen persimmon pulp.

Kiwi:  Fuzzy brown skin over  green flesh speckled with black seeds.

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes. Limited supply.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Lupi Farm  in Granite Bay, no spray:  Meyer Lemons:  Tasty and flavorful lemons, low in acid.

Stoney Point Orchard in Loomis, Certified Organic:

Ruby Red Grapefruit:  Sweet-tart and juicy with pink flesh. Great flavor.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

 

 

 

SLOW SEASON HOURS

 Trees are busy making fruit for our next season.  It all seems to start with flowers.  Meanwhile, there is less to offer in the farm stand.  I call this time of year our Slow Season.  Please note that hours are reduced till the end of May.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday hours are the same as always.  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday hours are reduced to 2 hours in the middle of the day 11:30 to 1:30.  Outside of these hours, you are welcome to call me at (916) 300-0720 to ask if I can meet you.  You will have to leave a message if your number is not already identified in my phone.  We are often at the farm somewhere, just not in the farm stand.

REDUCED HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs:     11:30  to  1:30

Fri, and Sat:       10:00  to  6:00

Sunday:      11:00 to 5:00

Closed on Mondays

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We began peeling persimmons in October.  We peeled the last persimmons at the beginning of December. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders please use our mail order form  for the 2023 season.

Yellow Grapefruit:  Sweet tart and a bit bitter. Very tasty.

Navel Oranges:  Sweet and Juicy.

Persimmons:

    Hachya : Frozen persimmon pulp.

Kiwi:  Fuzzy brown skin over  green flesh speckled with black seeds.

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

English Walnuts:  Shelled for you.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Kijani Farm
in Granite Bay, organic practices:

     Kabocha, Japanese winter squash (pumpkin).

Lupi Farm  in Granite Bay, no spray:  Meyer Lemons:  Tasty and flavorful lemons, low in acid.

Pleasant Hill Farm in Newcastle, no spray:

Navel oranges:  Sweet and juicy with great flavor.  

Stoney Point Orchard in Loomis, Certified Organic:

Ruby Red Grapefruit:  Sweet-tart and juicy with pink flesh. Great flavor.

Mihara Farm, Newcastle, CA, conventional farm:

Kiwi:  Sweet-tart fruit with deep green flesh.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

 

 

TIME FOR CITRUS

         Sweet tang.  Some of us crave it along with the intense flavors offered by the many varieties of citrus.  Citrus fruit are not just for fresh eating.  They are so important in flavoring our meals, and for making juices.  Let's not forget that citrus fruit can supply much needed Vitamin C for our wintertime health.  We will continue to have a variety of citrus fruit available for a couple of weeks.  When the oranges and mandarins are gone we should still have grapefruit and lemons.

         In addition to citrus fruit we are also harvesting Kiwi fruit.  There is also a good supply of hoshigaki.

        We have a supply of bare root fruit trees to put in the ground.  We will be planting plums, pluots, cherries, Asian pears and both yellow and white peaches.  These trees are available for some back yards.

        This is the quiet time of year for the orchard.  Only the citrus trees have fruit and leaves. The other trees are resting.  Soon the plums and pluots will start to bloom.  There will be patches of white blossoms in the orchard to mark their spots.  By mid March we should see the pink blossoms of peaches and nectarines.  If you plan to walk the orchard during bloom time, it is best to call first to find out what is blooming. This year seems different than previous years.

 

        On March 5th we will be starting our modified hours.  It will be our regular hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Our Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday hours will change to just 11:30 to 1:30.  And of course, Closed on Mondays as usual. We anticipate these hours for March, April and May.  If you need other times to visit, we will try to accommodate you.  We are often at the farm somewhere but not necessarily in the farm stand. You may call ahead at  (916) 300-0720. You will have to leave a message or text.

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00 am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We began peeling persimmons in October.  We peeled the last persimmons at the beginning of December. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders please use our mail order form  for the 2023 season.

Yellow Grapefruit:  Sweet tart and a bit bitter. Very tasty.

Navel Oranges:  Sweet and Juicy.

Blood Oranges:  Sweet and juicy with dramatic red flesh. Good for fresh eating, juice, marmalade, or adding to salads or drinks.

Satsuma Mandarins:  Sweet, juicy, and easy to peel.  Very popular this time of year. Great flavor and an easy healthy snack. Can be added to desserts, salads, and drinks. Zest can be used to flavor sauces and marinades.

Clementine Mandarins:  Sweet and juicy. Easy to peel with delicate membrane.  They are more mild than oranges and make an easy healthy snack.  Can be added to salads and desserts.

Persimmons:

    Hachya : Frozen persimmon pulp.

Kiwi:  Fuzzy brown skin over  green flesh speckled with black seeds.

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.

English Walnuts:  Shelled for you.

Here is what we have from other producers:

Kijani Farm
in Granite Bay, organic practices:

     Kabocha, Japanese winter squash (pumpkin).

Lupi Farm  in Granite Bay, no spray:  Meyer Lemons:  Tasty and flavorful lemons, low in acid.

Pleasant Hill Farm in Newcastle, no spray:

Navel oranges:  Sweet and juicy with great flavor. 

Cara Cara oranges:  These pink fleshed oranges are sweet and juicy with great flavor.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

Preparing vegetable garden.

   

 

 

 

FALL HARVEST

How quickly November is progressing.  Soon it will be Thanksgiving.  Time to gather with family and friends.

Tosh and I are now putting in our long days and nights making hoshigaki and organizing mail order requests.  The farm stand is closed on Mondays but I still find myself there tending the dried persimmons.   You may contact us for on-farm pick-up orders by calling (916) 791-1656 or email at otoworchard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders please use our mail order form.  Mail order shipments usually begin in December. 

The trees have noticed the change in night time temperatures.  Many of the persimmon trees are displaying vibrant orange, yellow, purple and red leaves. Nice time for a walk in the orchard.

 

 

 

Please note:  We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.  Regular hours will resume  on Friday Nov. 24, 2023.

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00 am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We began peeling persimmons in October.  The early hoshigaki is available. You may contact us for on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders please use our mail order form . Mail order shipments do not usually begin until December.

Apples: 

        Fuji: Known for being sweet juicy and always crisp.

        Reinete Simerenko:  a green sweet-tart apple with great flavor. I call it a cider apple.

        Granny Smith:  A green sweet tart apple.  Popular pie apple.  Special characteristic is that it stays white after being cut, it does not turn brown after being cut.

        Arkansas Black:  Amazingly deep red black apple. I call it the "Sleeping Beauty " apple.  Sweet and very firm.

European Pears:

        Comice :  Large, juicy, sweet pear when ripe.  Wait for the skin to turn slightly yellow. Similar to a Bartlett pear.

Asian Pears:  

    Shinko:  Large round pear with brown skin.  Very sweet, crisp, and juicy, a good keeper.

    Olympic: Large, dark brown, round Asian pear.  It has a good crunch and the flavor is intense. It is juicy and very sweet.  Can be used for pies and cobblers.

    Okusankichi:  Large winter Asian pear.  It is a good keeper.  It is sweet with a hint of tartness.  Juicy and crisp. 

Persimmons:

    Hachiya:  Tall acorn-shaped persimmon.  It is astringent until soft and jelly-like. It becomes very sweet soft and delicate. Fresh eating right out of its skin or often used for baking cookies and pudding. Used for making hoshigaki.

    Gyombo:  Tall Acorn-shaped persimmon with grooves down the four sides of the fruit.  Like the Hachiya persimmon, it is astringent until soft and jelly-like.  It becomes very soft, juicy, and sweet.

    Fuyu:  Apple type persimmon. Can be eaten hard and crisp.  These are always sweet and a favorite among our customers and future customers. At this time of year they are hard and crisp.  Later in the season or if held for a period of time they will become more orange-red and the flesh will become tender and sweeter. Used for fresh eating and in salads. Currently being sold by the bag and the box.

    Maru, Chocolate, and Nagamaru:  These are the brown fleshed persimmons.  Back in April when the trees were in bloom, the bees were  buzzing.  If the flower was fully pollinated, seeds would form and give off ethylene gas  to make the flesh brown and sweet.  The problem arises when a flower is only partially pollinated and less than half of the seeds form.  This fruit will be only partially sweet.  It's always a risk.  We recommend cutting the fruit and eating only the brown, sweet flesh. Some varieties will sweeten as they soften.

    Hyakume:  This is another brown fleshed persimmon. Often referred to as cinnamon.  When pollinated, Hyakume will be naturally sweet.  When partially pollinated or when it has no pollination, Hyakume will be astringent.  We use the one we think are mostly astringent to make Vodka persimmons. Persimmons treated with vodka are always sweet. Their flesh may be brown or yellow.

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.  Currently out of stock.

 
Cherry Tomatoes:  We are still getting a few Sun Gold cherry tomatoes.  It won't be for long.   The days are getting too short and cold. Limited supply. 

Chili Peppers:   Aji Amareto, Buena Mulata, Jalapenos, ---All limited supply.

Tomatillos:   These look like small green tomatoes in a paper shell.  They can be cooked or eaten raw. You can add them to salads or make them into green salsa.

Sweet Peppers: Green, yellow and purple varieties.

Winter Squash:

    Red Kuri, Black Futsu:  Known as a Japanese pumpkins.  These varieties have sweet, thick dry flesh. They can be steamed, baked, roasted, sauteed or added to soups and stews.

    Butternut Squash:    One of the most popular winter squashes because of its generous flesh.  The seeds are contained in the bulbous end and the neck is all flesh.   It has a sweet nutty flavor.  Is can be roasted, steamed, baked  and chopped into soups, stews, casseroles and curries.  Flavor can be savory or sweetened with syrup and butter.  

Quince:  This fruit is firm and seldom eaten raw.  It has a pleasing fragrance which can be preserved by making sauce, jams, jelly, adding it to  apple dishes, and pairing it with pork.  It is a great source for pectin.  Quince must be cooked and cored. It is famously used to make Quince sauce or Doulce de Membrillo, and Quince candy.  For Thanksgiving it is a tradition in our family to add quince to the cranberry sauce. Wow.

Pomegranates:  Sweet White Pomegranates and tart red Wonderful Pomegranates.

English Walnuts:  In the shell.  You have to crack them.

Here is what we have from other producers:

WoodRose Country Garden  in Granite Bay, organic practices:

    Eggplant, beans, colorful bell peppers, garlic and arugula.

    Seasoning:  basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, fresh garlic

    Cherry tomatoes.

    Winter squash:  Pink Banana Squash,

Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay:   Bees wax 🐝. 

Sunnyslope Farm Conventional practices, Garanite Bay, CA:  Fuji Apples.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. Production is low.  As days get shorter the chickens go through molting. This is the process of loosing old feathers and regrowing new feathers.  During this period, egg laying decreases and chickens concentrate on storing nutrients for the next season.

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices:

    Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes

     Kabocha, Japanese winter squash (pumpkin).  Butternut winter squash

Mihara Farm  conventional farming in Newcastle, CA:  Kiwi, Hachiya persimmons.

Stoney Point Farm, Organic certified, Loomis, CA:  Hachiya persimmons.

Placer County Master Gardeners:   2024 Gardening Guide and Calendar.  Provides helpful hints throughout your gardening year.

Lupi Farm  in Granite Bay, no spray:  Quince.